Mitchell Pincham

During the Covid-19 lockdowns, Mitchell Pincham turned curiosity and spare time into a new skill, teaching himself to code for the fun of seeing what he could create. 

“It’s just fun, it’s like playing around. You can do all this cool stuff,” he says. 

That interest led Mitchell to the University of Waikato, where he completed a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Computer Science and Mathematics. Drawn to the welcoming campus in Hamilton, and backed by scholarships to support his study, he found the smaller university environment offered more opportunities to get involved in hands-on learning.  

“Waikato has their own system – Waikato RISC Architecture Microprocessor (WRAMP) – set up on devices where you can work really close to the hardware,” he reflects.

The classes are small and the courses are really hands-on and practical compared to what you see elsewhere.

Mitchell recalls specific highlights including a mathematics project modelling space physics, and a paper on embedded computer systems. A part-time research assistant role at Te Ngira Institute of Population Research also gave him the chance to apply his programming and data analysis skills to modelling access to health services in New Zealand. 

Just weeks after graduating, he began working as a software engineer, where he now puts the practical skills he developed at Waikato into use every day. 

His advice to future students is simple: “Take every opportunity that you can. 

“You’re better off regretting taking a chance than regretting not taking it.”